


Patience

by imaginarycircus



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-27
Updated: 2011-07-27
Packaged: 2017-10-21 19:36:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/228970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginarycircus/pseuds/imaginarycircus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the prompt: "Steve's discovers a picture of himself in Danny's bullet proof vest. (They have little pockets on the inside to keep a piece of paper or something. Well, mine does anyway, so I've decided Danny's does too.)"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Patience

**Author's Note:**

  * For [finduilas_clln](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=finduilas_clln).



They're four against one and half a dozen black and whites are pulling up onto the edge of the road close to the sand. The cavalry is about a hundred yards away, which is to say they're close. It's over.

"Put your weapon down," Steve says figuring Warner can see how badly he's outnumbered. Also they've got him hemmed in against the water. There is nowhere he can go, unless he wants to swim out into the Pacific. The air smells particularly fresh because it's just rained and the sand they're standing on is still damp.

Warner shakes his head and pulls the trigger.

Steve is stunned into paralysis when he sees Danny catch one square in the chest. Danny's knocked back off his feet onto the sand. Steve comes back to himself and shoots Warner between the eyes. His body crumples into the shallow surf. Kono, who is closest, tosses Warner's gun back up onto the beach, checks for a pulse, and shakes her head.

It takes Steve another two seconds to scramble over to Danny and he is so relieved that Danny is breathing that he feels like he is breathing too much. He doesn't normally loose his cool like this, but it's Danny. Thankfully Danny's vest seems to have done its job and taken the hit. Steve still needs to get the thing off him and see if the bullet made it through the kevlar, and check Danny over for broken ribs.

"Danny, you're OK. I've got you," Steve says. Danny opens his eyes and Steve smiles at him, shucks open the velcro straps, and eases the vest apart. Danny's breathing is labored and Steve yells to Chin to call an ambulance, but Chin already has.

"Three minutes out, brah." Chin is busy securing the crime scene and making sure everything that needs to happen, happens so that Steve can concentrate on Danny.

When Steve lifts the vest off Danny, something flutters out of an interior pocket and falls onto the sand. He picks it up and tucks it in his pocket and unbuttons Danny's shirt with nervous fingers. This is not how he ever pictured undressing Danny, but he needs to see what's what. Danny has a bruise, a bad bruise forming over his fourth and fifth ribs. He might have cracked one of them, but none of them seem to be broken when Steve palpates Danny's chest as gently as he can. Steve knows that they'll run tests to make sure Danny's internal organs are all right once they get him to the hospital, but there are no immediate life threats that he can see or feel.

"The vest took the impact. You're going to be OK." Steve grips Danny's shoulder.

"Hurts like a sonovabitch," Danny rasps.

"Yeah, it does." Steve nods. He helps the paramedics get Danny onto the gurney and he rides to the hospital with Danny who is trying not to move much. A grimace of pain crosses his face whenever he does. Maybe he does have some kind of internal bleed? Steve frets, but doesn't let it show.

"Danny? Are you listening to me? You're going to be fine. Do you want me to call Rachel? Should I tell Grace?"

"Let Rachel," Danny says. "Thanks."

When they arrive at the hospital and Steve is ushered to a waiting room, badge or no badge. He calls Rachel who takes the news well and asks him to call when they know more and when Grace can come see her father.

Steve paces. He sits. He taps his feet. He drinks too much water and has to use the restroom twice. He's back to pacing when he sticks his hands in his pocket and finds the paper that fell out of Danny's vest earlier. It feels like a photo. Steve can imagine a sweet picture of Grace, which Danny keeps over his heart, inside his vest.

Danny won't mind if Steve looks. He takes it out and is surprised to see his very own face grinning back at him. He doesn't know when the photo was taken, but he's obviously been swimming. He's shirtless and his hair is wet. He's been caught mid-laugh. It's a good picture, but Steve is thrown. Why would Danny be carrying this photo, or any photo of Steve, in his Tac Vest? He's afraid of jumping to conclusions. It can't be what he hopes, what he's afraid to hope for. It can't. Danny doesn't have those sorts of feelings for him.

The problems is that he can't slip the photo back into Danny's vest. It's already been taken away by CSU and Danny will be issued a new vest. The photo can't just miraculously appear in Danny's new vest. Maybe Steve should let Danny think the photo disappeared with his old vest? But that might make Danny worry. There are enough rumors about the pair of them floating around HPD already without CSU finding Steve's photo in Danny's vest and he doesn't want Danny worrying about that. Steve doesn't care about the rumors, he actually secretly likes them, they give him hope, but he thinks Danny cares. He's sure Danny cares, because Danny complains.

The doctor finally emerges to tell Steve that Danny has a cracked rib and a bruised liver. He's going to need rest, but he'll be fine. They're going to keep him overnight for observation.

Danny is good spirits when the whole team arrives to spring him the next morning.

"Home, Jeeves." Danny is in a wheelchair. Steve is pushing him toward the hospital's main entrance.

"You're going to Steve's," Kono says. "We decided that would be best for you."

"What? Don't I get a say?" Danny looks amused, but also affronted.

"No," Chin and Kono say at the same time.

"Fine. Just no pineapple on the pizza and I don't care where you take me. Just get me some real food."

They get Danny into his car without too much wincing. Steve even drives like a normal person, which seems to make Danny a little jumpy. He twitches in his seat and winces some more and places his hand gingerly against his cracked ribs.

"So." Is Steve's brilliant opening gambit.

"So, Steven?"

"I uh-- found a photo of myself in your vest?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?" Danny's expression is unreadably cool.

"Both. Why?" Steve turns into his driveway and shuts off the engine.

Danny sighs and then winces again. "Let me take a pain killer first. Then I'll explain. Unless you think you're going to freak out on me, in which case you better drop me at home."

"I'm not going to freak out, unless you're planning some kind of black magic ritual to make my brains explode, or something."

Danny shakes his head and looks up at Steve who's come round to help him out of the car. Danny grunts in pain as he stands.

Walking isn't too bad as long as he takes it slow, or so it seems. Steve isn't used to Danny being stoic. He can't gauge how badly Danny really feels since he isn't complaining with every breath he takes.

It takes time to get Danny fed, and settled comfortably on the couch. Steve waits for him to take his pain meds. They watch the news until Danny's eyes start to look slightly unfocused. Steve says, "So?"

"Knew you wouldn't let it go." Danny reaches up to smooth back his hair and makes a face grabs his ribs. "There's a simple explanation. But you're not gonna like it."

"Try me," Steve says. His entire chest feels wide open and exposed and his hands are sweating a little bit.

"I went to put a photo of Grace in and I must have picked up the wrong photo. I didn't notice it for a little bit, but then I kind of liked having you there, over my heart. So I left the picture where it was."

"You know Freud says there are no accidents." Steve has no idea why he's quoting Freud right now. He's pretty sure Danny is saying, or at least means that he has feelings for Steve and that is so wonderful. It's like the best news Steve thought he'd never get.

"Freud was a miserable bastard." Danny shakes his head and from the way he's doing it Steve can tell the pain meds have kicked in full force.

"So why?" Steve presses. "Why did you like my picture there over your heart, Danny?"

"Because you're a goof," Danny says, blue eyes sparkling.

"I'm a goof?" Steve wasn't expecting that.

"Yeah, but you're my goof," Danny says. "Right?"

"Yeah." Steve nods. And he doesn't say anymore because Danny needs rest. And maybe it's going to be awkward when Danny sobers up, but that's OK. Steve can be as patient as wind and water wearing down a mountain. At least he can be now that he knows that Danny cares for him. He settles a light blanket over Danny and watches him resting.

"That's creepy," Danny mutters.

"What?"

"You watching me sleep." Danny cracks open one blue eye. "Look, I know I'm gorgeous and all, but come on. Go work on your car, or swim to Guam and back."

"You're not that gorgeous," Steve says. "I just want to make sure you're OK."

"Ha! But you think I'm a little gorgeous." Danny looks so amused and that's when Steve realizes he is totally stoned.

"I'm going to do the dishes, Danny." Steve checks on him ten minutes later. Danny is deep asleep and Steve can look his fill. He doesn't think it's creepy to watch the man you love more than life itself sleep after he's been shot. And he doesn't think Danny is a little gorgeous. He's so beautiful it hurts.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos make my day, but concrit is always welcome.


End file.
